ANA Expands to Three Additional European Destinations in 2024
All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's largest airline, is set to significantly expand its European network in 2024. Marking a record high, the airline plans to operate flights to nine European airports, including three new destinations from Tokyo Haneda: Istanbul Airport, Milan Malpensa, and Stockholm Arlanda.
New Routes and Renewed Ambitions
The addition of these routes comes as a resumption of plans initially set for the pandemic-affected year of 2020. While specific details like start dates, schedules, and pricing are yet to be announced, it is confirmed that the Boeing 787 will service these routes. This choice underscores the aircraft's prominence in ANA's European operations.
Tokyo to Istanbul, Milan, and Stockholm
- Tokyo-Istanbul: ANA will join Turkish Airlines, a fellow Star Alliance member, in connecting Tokyo with Istanbul. Turkish Airlines currently operates daily flights on this route with the 777-300ER model.
- Tokyo-Milan: Milan represents a significant point-to-point market for Tokyo, previously unserved directly. According to booking data, Milan has witnessed approximately 160,000 roundtrip passengers in the last year, making it Tokyo's largest unserved European destination.
- Tokyo-Stockholm: A renewed connection after two decades, Stockholm hasn't had direct flights from Tokyo since the early 2000s. ANA's initiative here taps into a market with an estimated 39,000 passengers.
Collaboration and Expansion
The new routes offer ANA opportunities for strategic alliances within the Star Alliance network. In Stockholm, collaboration with SAS is anticipated, while the Milan route, despite ANA's codeshare agreement with ITA Airways, might face limitations as ITA does not operate from Malpensa.
Additional Route Enhancements
Beyond the new routes, ANA is also enhancing its existing European connections. This includes resuming its Vienna service, suspended since March 2020 due to COVID, with a thrice-weekly operation starting August 1st. This complements Austrian Airlines' services, reinforcing ANA's presence in the European market.
A Broader Reach in Europe
In 2024, ANA's European network will encompass Brussels, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London Heathrow, Milan, Munich, Paris CDG, Stockholm, and Vienna. This expansion, despite the loss of Düsseldorf, represents a significant growth from its 2019 pre-pandemic operations, signaling a robust recovery and strategic growth in the European sector.
